Whitehall officials have been accused by a whistleblower of helping to hush up
a scandal at the hospital regulator.

Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary, has been urged to launch an inquiry over
claims that senior civil servants made little attempt to investigate when
alerted to concerns over poor management of the Care Quality Commission.

The head of the National Audit Office, Sir Amyas Morse, allegedly told a
whistleblower to “keep a low profile” when she approached him.

Mr Hunt has repeatedly spoken of the importance of whistleblowers and a
“culture of openness” in the NHS. Now, his senior officials are